Welcome Homeschool Group Welcome Homeschool Group Welcome Homeschool Group Welcome Homeschool Group Welcome Homeschool Group Welcome Homeschool Group
 

FAQs



Q:

What is Welcome Homeschool Group? 

A:

Welcome Homeschool Group is an all volunteer non-profit group that seeks to provide a community of social and educational support for active homeschooling families in and around the Alamance County area.  Our membership includes all ages of children, and all sizes and demographics of families.  The group's day to day administration is operated by a volunteer leadership team, and all of our events are facilitated by volunteers from among our member families.  Examples of events that may be hosted within the group are: 

-  Field trips to area attractions such as museums, aquariums, historic landmarks, battlefield, the NC Capitol, and wildlife facilities

- Kick Off Celebration

- Holiday Parties

- Service Projects

-  Women of Excellence social events for homeschooling mothers

-  Kayaking and hiking

-  Chess and board game club

- Middle and High School socials and dances

-  Fall Festival

-  Coding workshop

-  Tours of area facilities, such as libraries, banks, and fire departments

-  Book clubs

-  Science, History, or Literature Fairs

-  Spelling or Geography Bees

-  Clubs, such as Writing, Anatomy, and Zoo

- And more

Our events and activities are limited to our member families.  Annual membership in Welcome Homeschool Group allows you and your family access to our private event calendar, homeschooling workshops, as well as to our full website, which includes member forums, the ability to print a family membership card, a list of area resources including outside area classes and enrichment opportunities, and participation in homeschooling workshops.  Often times, our member events and field trips allow us to access group programming at museums and attractions where a minimum group size would otherwise be required.  

 

 

Q:

How does Welcome Homeschool Group operate? 

A:

In as simple of terms as possible, we harness our numbers to build opportunities.  Homeschools don't have PTAs or school boards with access to other people's money.  Any activities that we want our children or families to participate in we have to organize and fund completely on our own.  As a single family, that can get expensive, especially if you have to rent community rooms for workshops or front the cost for supplies for field day, and anyone who has ever tried to plan a field trip with random people on social media knows that you don't get financial commitments from everyone who expressed interest.  Most museums require a minimum group size to secure programming, and that can be difficult to meet on your own, and might even leave you on the hook for paying for empty spots.  However, when you belong to a social club like Welcome Homeschool Group, you have people available to piggy back on your interests, opening up access to more programming and giving your family the opportunity to make new friends with a shared love of homeschooling.   Anything that they can do in public or private schools, we can do within our group. Prom, driver's ed, class trips to the Aquarium, service clubs, sports, they're all in reach!  In addition to our website fees, Welcome's dues can be used to rent community space for our homeschooling events and workshops, to pay for materials for field day or awards for a Science Fair, to put down deposits for field trips or purchase supplies for service projects, and to help support our members in whatever clubs, workshops, and events they feel called to organize.  In addition, one of the most useful features of Welcome is our website. No more having to keep track of signups and payments for your event, everything can be done within the website's calendar. Things really are so much easier when we join together as a community of volunteers to create the community that we want for our own families!

Q:

What are the qualifications for membership in Welcome Homeschool Group? 

A:

An individual subscribing to the purposes of the Group and meeting the following qualifications will be eligible for membership in the Group:   

  1. Actively educating at least one(1) school aged child in the home per the homeschooling laws and general statues of the State of North Carolina. 
  2.  Residence within 75 miles of Alamance County or having set plans to relocate within the membership area within the annual membership year (August 1- July 31). 
  3.  Payment of the annual membership fee as determined annually by the Leadership Team. 
  4.  Agree to comply with all Group policies and procedures as determined by the Leadership Team, and which may include but are not limited to Group Rules, a Code of Conduct, a Sign Up and Commitment Policy, the requirement for liability waivers, age group limitations on certain events, and payment policies.  
  5. Agree to adhere to the Group’s volunteer requirement as determined annually by the Leadership Team.  
  6. Agree to behave respectfully at Group events and activities and when representing the Group in accordance with the Biblical principle of “Love thy neighbor as you love thyself.”
  7.  Vested Membership in the Group requires meeting the qualifications outlined in items a-f above, IN ADDITION TO being a member in good standing for a period of no fewer than 365 continuous days and having no outstanding complaints pending Leadership Team action. 

Q:

Does Welcome Homeschool Group require a signed Statement of Faith? 

A:

Members of Welcome Homeschool Group are not required to sign a Statement of Faith, however, a social club that seeks to socialize peacefully requires a mutual understanding.  We have members of all backgrounds and religion/no religion, and while we do not ask or require that you adopt these beliefs, all members of Welcome Homeschool Group must agree to understand that the Leadership Team (Board) seeks to guide The Group according to the Biblical principles on which the group was founded, which are centered around the following Core Beliefs: 

  • God is the creator and ruler of the Universe.
  • Jesus Christ, his only son, lived a sinless life and was crucified for the sins of all.  He rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and will return again.  
  • Salvation is a gift from God through the death of Jesus.  Our salvation is not earned. Only through the grace of God, through his only son, are we saved.  
  • The Bible is the Word of God and a road map for a Godly life. 
  • Marriage is between one biological man and one biological woman. Traditional gender roles and definitions honor God.  

For the purposes of Welcome Homeschool Group social club, the Leadership Team will serve as the final authority on the interpretation of the Bible and the Core Beliefs if/as it pertains to group governance. 

 

Q:

What is expected of me as a member?

A:

We have just a few important expectations within our community:  Stay current on your annual dues, volunteer to plan or assist with the events as required in the membership agreement, and honor your committments to attend events that you have signed up for.  

1) Dues:  Dues are payable each year at a 2023-2024 rate of $30 per nuclear family.  Our fues are nonrefundable. Our membership year will run from August 1-July 31, and dues will not be prorated.  You'll receive emails during our annual re-registration drive to remind you that it's time to renew!  

2) Volunteerism: The Welcome Homeschool Group is a place where all of our members work together to make the group fun and interesting, as well as a place of support and encouragement.  We believe that each member has gifts to offer the group, and as such, members are expected to volunteer in some capacity with events that their family chooses to attend/participate in.  We would like to share with you ideas on how you can effectively be a part of this awesome organization.

  • -Plan a fieldtrip or educational class for members of the group:  Studying history this year and want to visit 

  • -Plan or organize events:  Holiday parties or the kick off are great opportunities to get involved without having to get too creative. 

  • -Volunteer to assist with events during the year: Setting up/cleaning up before/after parties, planning and/or running a craft, activity, or game during a party, etc.   We have several committees that you can join, depending on your schedule/interests/gifts.  

  • -Sign up to be a mentor for other Welcome Homeschool families. 

  • -Plan activities for older elementary, middle and high school level. Some ideas for these age levels might be: CPR classes, financial literacy workshops, speech clubs/debate/oral reports, service projects, sports, or organizing a career club speaker, but there are so many others! 

  • - Volunteer to serve on the leadership team:  Help build a homeschooling community that we can all be excited about!!

3) Honoring committments: Members are expected to show respect for the effort that others have made to organize activities by following through with any sign up committments that they have made to our calendar events.  We have a policy on "no shows"  to protect the investment of our activity organizers, and the group at large.  This policy is detailed in your member agreement, and we strongly encourage you to be familiar with it. 

 

 

Q:

What is Welcome Homeschool Group's Sign up/Commitment Policy? 

A:

It is important for a group that is dependent on the volunteerism of others that a policy exists which insists that members follow through with any commitments made to the group in terms of attending fieldtrips, parties, events, etc.  Signing up for a calendar event constitutes making a committment to attend.  It is not a statement of interest, or a "maybe".  If, for some reason, you find that you will be unable to attend an event that you have previously signed up for, please contact the coordinator as soon as possible, so that plans can be adjusted and/or businesses alerted.  Tours paid in advance, and beyond the payment deadline, can not be refunded.  If a family fails to show up for a sign up event without notifing the coordinator prior to the start of that event, that family's membership will be "parked", and they will be required to pay a $5.00 fee to continue access to Welcome Homeschool Group's events and website.   Likewise, if an individual or family's absence at an event causes the coordinator to have to make up a difference in funds after the reservation date and/or on the date of an event, your membership will be parked until such time that you return the funds related to your family's lack of attendance.  Please be sure to honor your committments to the community, and do not sign up for an event unless you are planning to attend.   

 

Q:

How do I go about planning a field trip or other activity?

A:

We depend on our Welcome parents to plan events and field trips, and they do an awesome job! If you are new to the group, and want to set up an event or trip, here are some simple steps to help you get started.

  1. Decide on an activity, club, or field trip destination.

  2. Determine the date/time that you wish to host your event. We both allow and encourage multiple events on the same day, as we have many families with varied interests, schedules, and ages of children. 

  3. Line up details for the trip or activity by contacting the place where the event/class is to be held.  If you do not have a hosting facility in mind, contact the leadership team and we can help you find a location! 

  4. Go to the Welcome website and click on “Calendar” from the left sided menu.  

    1. Click on the "+" located above the calendar to add a new event. 

    2. Fill in information on your event, including as many details as possible. Please let the group know more than the time and date of the event! Tell us some neat things we will see or do, how much the event will cost, and what methods of payment the facility accepts.  You can also provide any online resources for pre or post visit, as well as links to any required liability waivers, or to required registration from the hosting facility.  When you are finished, click on "Create New Event" at the bottom of the page.  

    3. The page will then prompt you to determine if you wish to allow sign ups for your event.  Please click yes, and complete the form within that page, including the deadline for sign ups, and the maximum number of participants, if this is a concern.  When you are finished, click "Update event" to save your information. 

    4. Our group's calendar advisor will receive your submission and will check for any missing information. If necessary, they will contact you to clarify or make necessary corrections, and then your event will be approved!  It's easy!  

If you aren't sure about something, or if you need help, email the leadership team.  We are happy to help you.  

Our group continues to grow and we love it!!  Your leadership team is here to assist you with planning and organizing (and members of the leadership team often organize events and volunteer to assist with events that other members have organized), but the actual facilitation of events is a function of the members of the group.  Please remember that we are all volunteers, and that each member of the group bears a responsibility to help make Welcome Homeschool Group the type of group that you want it to be.   

Welcome's 2023-2024 Leadership Team includes:

Jessica Simmons--Site Administrator

Jill Raymond-- Website and Registration Coordinator

Mandi Arneman-- Secretary of Treasury

LaToya Castro-- Leadership Team Advisor 

We are looking forward to seeing the activities and field trips that our membership plans for 2023-2024.  Thank you for all of your help!!